Ball frame for shaker chutes



My 1l, 1933. A. W. CLARKE BALL FRAME FOR SHAKER CHUTES Filed July 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheelf l lll oO :Ul H I llnlll u www. umflrulu: url wIHr In L HU? .l

INVENTOR ZYe/ Clarke AT1-REY l Patented l July 11,` 1933 UNITED rer ALLEN W'. CLARKE, 0F BERWGK, .PENNSYLVNA, ASSGNOR TO AMIRICLAN CAR AND EOUNDRY CQMPANVY, OF 'NEVI BALL renne ron Application filed July 29,

This invention relates generally to shaker chutes used in mining operations and for other purposes and has particular reference toball iframes for supporting 'the individual trough sections of whiclrthe chute is coniposed.

Sha-ller, chutes now' in use are usually coniposed of a series of trough sections secured together end to end with the individual trough sectionssupported for reciprocation on devices known inthe artas ball trames.

Banfiames previously used ha possessed certain disadvantages in that the construc tion thereof resulted in considerable sliding friction which detracts from the egnciency or' the device. In view oi' this one object ci the present `invention is to provide a ball frame for shalerchutes in which sliding iriction is eliininated irrespectiveV of the. positions of therespective parts, In use, forcesV developwhich tend to shift the trough section o r chute bothvertically and sidewise and the present invention con1- prisesa ballfrainehaving provision 'for preventing excessive sidewise and verticalyshiitf ing of lthe trough section relative to the ball frame. I

Another object of this invention is theprovision` oi a ball traine for ashalrer chute which is adapted to operate in a minimum of headrooni. p l

A further object of this invention is `the provisionoi: a ball traine forslialer chutes which is formed yalmost entirely commercial structural shapes thereby providing a device which is easy andinexpensive to inanufactureand which isstrong and durable in operation.l

( )ther `objects and advantagesof thisin- Vention will be apparent from the following description taken in conliunction with tue aecompanying drawings 1n which:

Eigure 1 is a top plan View oli lthe ball franile of the present inventon.

'Fig'. 9. is a sectional viewtaken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; this ligure showing ,a trough sectionr associated therewith. i Fig. 3 is a side elevation 'of the ball frame shown in Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away to disclose other partsin section.

een, n. Y., .Li coaronA'rio-n or nnwrnnsny SHAKER CHUTES 1932. serial ne. eesaeee.

Fig. 4i is a top planl view of a mofld.

ves

porting body nieinbeiifB toi'A a trough l section@ is connecter.; tl'iefbodyfnieinb f berno mounted for reci rocat'i nu on reci. e l. 4. P lv rocation of 'the trough sectionfG,I as fwill'V be.`

more. clearly pointed'out hereinafter.

rihe base freine A of Figs. 1, 2 and. 3comprises a pair ot spaced rigid inenibers'` 2, downwardly 'facing channels in the instance'fA shownywhich are connected bya pair o ffl er raceway lneinbersl indicated generally l) and each formed of apairo but' oppositely arranged angles- 4:,

.legs oi which restnpon andareprexfembly secured as by welding to VthefwvebsA ofthe channels 2. As clearly vshown in Fig'fQ, the

angles l of each of the racew'ays are spaced troni each other to provide an'opening which extends `run end to endfoi-.th'i'racekways D for a purpose to be heieinaf r de? scribed. Also as clearly shownl 2., the

` upper portions of the verticalflegs 12 ofthe anglesv d are bent back in the direction othorizontal Vlegs of the angles as shown at 14 to provide upwardly diverging walls which constitute bearing surfaces of the 4raceways D for receiving anti-friction eleine4 ts inthe torni of balls 1G. l` v` rilhe respective yangles of the lower race-.p ways D are connected at theirend port-inns by closure .plate-'pes' 18 welded tothe walls 14 and providing end stops to prevent."aceig dental removal of the balls 16 duringoperation of the ball trame. `Il iteri'n'e diate 'thefend portions of the raceways Df spacer Inenibers 2O are provided which are litted withinthe ball race and preferably welded thereto serve to retain the balls r16 in spaced rel-a' tion as will be apparent.

T he balls 16 reciprocably support thebpdy member B comprising, in the instance shown, a pair of plates 22 arranged side by side in spaced relation and having their adjacent edge portions downwardly flanged as shown at 24 (see Fig. 3), the end portions of said flanges being beveled as at 26 te rest upon the inner legs 2S of downwardly farir-.g angles 30 and to which legs they are welded as shown at 32. The angles 30 constitute upper raceways which rest on the balls` 1G and the edge portions of the inner legs 26 are inwardly flanged as at 34 to underlie or lap the flanges 14 of the inner angles of the lower raceways (see Fig. 2) whereby the upper and lower raceways are arranged in cooperating relation in such a manner as to prevent excessive sidewise and vertical shifting ofthe body member relative to the base frame. Due tothe relative positions of the upper and lower raceways, it is obvious that the inner and outer legs 2S and 36 of the npper raceways form housings over the lower raceways to prevent the admission of dirt or other foreign matter such as coal. dust or the like intoy the lower raceways.

The body :member supports the trough section C forreciprocation and said trough section is provided with a connecting` elen ment 38, shown as a T section in Fig. El, which is suitably connected as by welding at 40 to the lower surface of the bottom 42 Y of the trough sectionl` the vertical legst-4 of the connecting element being positioned in the space defined between the depending flanges 24 of the adjacent edge portions of the plates 22.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 disclose a modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and described above, and it can be seen that the lower raceways D each comprises a pair of spaced angle members arranged back to back in spaced relation, tliojvertical flanges 46 thereof, intermediate their end` portions, being upwardly inclined in opposite directions, as shown at 48; the inclined portions commencing at the end portions of the-angle members, as shown clearly in Fi 4: the end portions of the vertical flanges being adjacently arranged (see Fig. whereby to provide stop members at the ends of the lower racewavs l) to prevent accidental removal of the balls 16. Itwill be obvious that with this construction the necessity of using an independent. stop member such as shown at 18 in Figs. 2 and 3 is eliminated. Approximately midway between the ends of the respeeti ve angles forming the lower raceways l), the vertical flanges 46 thereof are pressed inwardly toward each other as shown at 49 to provide a central stop means for retaining the balls 16V in spaced relation.

In some instances itis desirable to provide stop members on the upper raceways 30 and in the instance shown the end porthe inner and outer legs thereof as clearly shown in Fig. 5.v Approximately midway between lthe endsvof the upper raceways 30 a stop member 54 is provided. which is welded or otherwise secured within each angle 30, as-clearly shown in Fig. G of the drawings.

The construction shown in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive,provides lower raceways D veach comprising a pair of angles which may be formed in one operation to provide the constructionillustrated, thus eliminating the necessity of welding supplemental pieces such as stops, partitions and barriers.

From the above description it is believed that the construction and operation of the device of the present invention will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art. lt is obvious that when the trough section' C is reciprocated the body member B will be shifted or reciprocated on the balls 1G and that excessive sidewise and vertical shifting is preventedby the lapping relation of the upper and lower raceway members. It is further apparent thatv the upper raceway members constitute a protective housing or the lower raceway members to prevent thepassage of dirt or other foreign matter into the lower raceway members. In use., regardless of protective measures, dirt such as coal dust or the like, often lodges in thelower raceway members but in the construction shown and described herein such dirt or coal dust immediately passesv out of the lower raceway members through the opening` 19 formed as a result of thc spaced relation of the angles 4 of the respective lower raceway members D.

rlhe drawings herein illustrate one embodiment of this invention but it is to be linderstood that they are for illustrative purposes only and various changes in the form and proportion of the device may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spiritvof the invention.

`What is claimed is i 1. A ball frame for shaker chutes'comprising a base framerhaving spaced lower raceways each formed of a pair of angle members having adjacently arranged upwardly extending portions providing bearing surfaces,1antifriction elements in the said raceways and supported lon the bearing surfaces, angle-shaped upper raceways mounted on the anti-friction elements in such a manner as to constitute housings covering the lower raceways and provided with portions arranged in lapping relation with respect to one of lOD 2. A ball frame for shaker chutes comprising a base frame having spaced lower race-- ways each formed of a pair of angle members having adjacently arranged upwardly extending portions providing bearing sui'- faces, anti-friction elements in said raceways and supported on the bearing surfaces, angleshaped upper raceways mounted on the anlifriction elements in such a manner as to constitute housings covering the lower raceways and provided with portions arranged in lapping relation with respect to vone of the angles of each of said lower raceways where- Ll. A ball frame for shaker chutes coinpris- Y ing a base frame having spaced lower raceways each formed of a pair of spaced angles with adjacent flanges thereof vertically arranged and having portions thereof bent to provide means for supporting anti-friction elements therebetween, anti-friction elements supported by said raceways, downwardly fac ing angles supported for reciprocation on said anti-friction elements and having one of the legs of each thereof inturned to underlap portions of the lower raceways so that excessive Sider-sise and verticalshifting of said upper raceways relative to the lower raceways is prevented,-and a pair of plates extending between said upper raceways and having contiguous edge portions thereof downwardly flanged and welded to said upper raceways.

A ball frame for shaker chutes comprising a base frame having lower raceways each formed of a pair of rigid elements arranged in spaced relation and having upright portions, prrts of said upright portions being flanged in opposite directions, stop members extending between and welded'to said rigid elements at the end portions thereof, anti-friction elements in said raceways, a trough supporting body member, and downwardly facing angles weldedto` opposite edge portions of said body member and restingon the anti-friction elements in such a manner as to form housings over the lower raceways, one of the legs of eachV of said angles being arranged inv lapping relation with respect to the lower raceways 'whereby said trough supporting body member is pre-l vented against excessive sidewise and vertical shifting relative to the ball frame.

6. A ball frame for shaker chutes comprising a base frame having a pair of downwardly facing channel members, spaced pairs of rigid elements connecting said channels and each having upwardly diverging portions constituting lower raceways therebetween, antifriction elements in said raceways, a. pair of plates arranged in spaced relation and having adjacent portions thereof downwardly flanged, downwardly facing rangles welded to the flanges of said plates and resting upon said anti-friction elements, said angles having portions thereof arranged in lapping relation with' the lower raceways whereby upon reciprocation of said plates excessive sidewise and vertical shifting thereof is rpre` vented. l A j 7. A ball frame for shaker chutes comprising a base frame having spaced lower raceways each formed of a pair of angle-shaped members arranged back to back, the adjacent portions of said angle membersbeing relatively solforined and arranged as to provide bearing surfaces, anti-friction elements supported on said bearing surfaces, angle-shaped upper raceways mounted 0n the anti-friction elements in such a manner as to provide hous-v ings covering said lower raceways and having portions arranged in lapping relation with respect to one of the angle-shaped members of each of said lower raceways to provide means for preventing excessive vertical and sidewise shifting of the upper raceways relative to the lower raceways.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. j

ALLEN lV. CLARKE. 

